This is usually reliable but I notice has a total of eleven A333s when I am sure they've only announced ten. The two Beach Fleet aircraft are expected to move to LHR but how this squares with the imminent withdrawal of G-VTOP I don't know. I suspect that they have to stay painted as they are, as it's rumoured that were VS to have a consistent fleet wide livery, the sky would fall in.....

Quoting skipness1E (Reply 2):The two Beach Fleet aircraft are expected to move to LHR but how this squares with the imminent withdrawal of G-VTOP I don't know.

Well with ROM back in the fleet that would be a direct swap with TOP. (With ROM enabling the refits currently going on).

So what happens with the 2 LGW 330's?

Ok so 4 more new build 330 deliveries this year. Lets presume they replace 1 for 1 the A340-600's leaving the fleet this year.

Then there are 3 x 330's coming back from lease to Ryan & China Airlines.

My understanding is no more 340-300's leave until 2014 - thought I believe FAR is owned so that may go/be sold.

So will be interesting to see if the 2 x 330's at LGW do actually go up to LHR... perhaps more LHR 747's will go to LGW config? Personally I think keeping 2 330's in leisure config may be a good thing and possibly to open up new routes?
Will be interested to see how it all works out.

The 2 aircraft from China are back first, around the end of the year. G-VINE is early 2013 although there are some options on that.

G-VTOP has been mentioned many times as leaving. That's certainly a decent possibility but it's not a fixed plan, it depends very much on requirements at the time and can be retained, deferred or returned from lease.

The 2 LGW aircraft will be the last of all to be sent up to LHR, probably in time for summer 2013.

Depending on requirements, one additional B744 could be sent down to cover when the LGW A330s are sent to LHR. As things stand, there would still be a shortfall even with 'ROM coming back and there is further LGW/MAN expansion being looked at.

4 A346 will go back this year, possibly another 3 in 2013, leaving an eventual fleet of 12 for flights to LAX,JNB,CPT,HKG,SYD,NRT,PVG. B744s will do SFO,LAX,MIA,JFK. A333s will do JFK,ORD,DEL,BOM,IAD and some others yet to be publicly announced

Quoting virginblue4 (Thread starter):Are G-VKSS and G-VSXY going to be refitted and based at LHR or are they staying where they are? Also I have heard they are going to be repainted with the newer metallic red (like G-VRAY) is this true?

Quoting sevenheavy (Reply 8):Depending on requirements, one additional B744 could be sent down to cover when the LGW A330s are sent to LHR.

Ive had a funny feeling for a few years now that eventually all the 744's will end up at LGW.

Would make sense that extra capacity would be needed though. The A330's came in and effectively replaced the LHR 744's that were being sent down to LGW (to mostly operate the BGI route, although occasionally they were seen in MCO) to cover for VROM being away. With VTOP potentially going and the A330's going to LHR that will then leave the LGW fleet a member down again. Theres also a new route to Cancun to throw into the mix however the route to Kingston has been dropped to accommodate this.

Tough gig, Delta with a massive feed at JFK just dropped JFK-MAN, United also dropped one daily EWR-MAN in favour of a new IAD-MAN. Even BA dropped MAN-JFK, I strongly doubt VS would try this. Can someone confirm that the A333 will be withdrawn from the Beach Fleet and sent to LHR once the B744 refits are done for LGW?

Sorry, I realise it was referenced in this thread. I meant where the information contained within it came from.

GLA-LAS could work but with the two leisure A333s tied up ( and ultimately moving to LHR) there isn't the aircraft available. It could work nicely, say a Saturday rotation to MCO, then Sunday to LAS, then Monday to MCO and a position back to MAN but a B744 would be too much.

It would also be pushing the A333s effective range a bit, but would probably be ok in the summer

GLA has been very successful for VS but I think there is only room for additional MCO flights for the foreseeable future, potentially a Friday service or even a weekly year round flight

G-VRAY was used for the inaugurals, and I think the route will eventually be an A333. GLA-LAS should be ok in the summer but it could struggle in the winter as its a couple of hundred miles longer than LHR-YVR, which is already considered about the economical limit. It would also be in a higher density configuration which would give less flexibility with the ZFW.

Good point. That's another reason why YVR is considered about the limit....if they really wanted to they could get around it by blocking some seats but it all adds to the complications.

If VS really wanted to look at some longer range flying from GLA or MAN they might be better keeping a couple of the A343s and reconfiguring them to a similar layout to the leisure A333s. They could fly more or less anywhere and additional LAS flying (which seems to be very successful for VS) would be no issue. It would also be a good way to increase frequency from MAN or even LGW.

Quoting skipness1E (Reply 17):Tough gig, Delta with a massive feed at JFK just dropped JFK-MAN, United also dropped one daily EWR-MAN in favour of a new IAD-MAN. Even BA dropped MAN-JFK, I strongly doubt VS would try this. Can someone confirm that the A333 will be withdrawn from the Beach Fleet and sent to LHR once the B744 refits are done for LGW?

I agree about MAN-JFK, it seems to need very good J loads as well as feeder traffic, and even the bigger hub and spoke airlines can't make it work over successive seasons.

As to the A333s in leisure config, they are indeed to be reconfigured for use at LHR, but then with VS you never know!